Data Centers

Data centers typically use either air-based or water-based evaporative cooling technologies to keep this equipment from overheating. Companies consider many factors when deciding where to site new data centers and which cooling technology to use. These include the climate, power availability, and water availability.

Data centers that use water for cooling depend on reliable, sustainable water supplies to cool systems and support operations. Companies operating data centers recognize that water is a resource shared with local communities, ecosystems, and other industries. With increasing climate pressures, public scrutiny, and growing water-related challenges, it is essential to manage water wisely and make siting and design decisions that consider environmental water stress, water availability, and other demands, which is essential to business continuity and reputation.

LimnoTech understands the fast-moving site due diligence process that data centers operate under in today’s world and the complex collaboration and relationships that are essential between data center operators, utilities, NGOs, community groups, and other stakeholders. LimnoTech brings decades of watershed-level expertise to help clients understand cumulative impacts, evaluate competing demands, and collaborate on solutions that balance business needs with local water security.

LimnoTech helps data centers:

• Manage Water-Related Risks: assess water availability and scarcity, evaluate risks, identify alternative water sources such as reuse, and ensure compliance and resilience.
• Support New Site Evaluations: screen and evaluate water availability, analyze environmental conditions, develop site selection decision tools, and guide sustainable siting.
• Address Shared Water Challenges: evaluate needs, support basin-wide solutions, and reduce conflicts.
• Set & Achieve Water Goals: develop strategies, benchmark, track and report progress, and align with other water stewardship initiatives such as Net Posititive Water Impact (NPWI), Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), Freshwater Science-based Targets (SBTs), and other target frameworks and reporting requirements.
• Water Stewardship Project Benefit Quantification: volumetric water benefit accounting (VWBA), water quality benefit accounting (WQBA), WASH benefit accounting, and other multi-benefit accounting (ecosystem, carbon).
• Engage Stakeholders & Communities: stakeholder mapping, collective action and initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration.

Contact Laura Weintraub, Steve Skripnik, or Kathy Hall to learn how we can help.